The Cardinals continued preparations for the NFL’s opening of the free agency period by parting ways with defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson on Friday, March 6.
In search of a quarterback, a running back, multiple offensive linemen, defensive line help, a linebacker and more, the Cardinals are creating as much space as they can as Monday, March 9, draws closer. On that day, at 9 a.m. MST (noon Eastern), teams can begin the “legal tampering” period, with signings officially announced March 11.
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In addition to free agent acquisitions, the Cardinals’ 2026 NFL Draft selections, currently at Nos. 3 and 34 overall, are seen as potential Day 1 starters.
The Cardinals save approximately $9.4 million with Friday’s move, with Tomlinson’s dead cap hit being $6.8 million. If the team executed the release with a post-June 1 designation, it would free up $14.5 million instead of $9.4 million, but the money wouldn’t be available until June, after the primary free agency period.
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates after converting a two-point conversion against the Detroit Lions during the final moments of the second half of the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on Sept. 8, 2019, in Glendale, Arizona. The Lions and Cardinals tied 27-27.
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) makes a throw against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium.
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) runs the ball against the Buffalo Bills in the second quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Nov. 15, 2020.
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals looks on during warm-up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Dec. 19, 2021, in Detroit, Michigan.
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) scrambles with the football in the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on Dec. 5, 2021.
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks for a receiver against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Oct. 2, 2022.
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Jan 17, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Ramsduring the first half of an NFC Wild Card playoff football game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Arizona Cardinals release Kyler Murray. See his time in the Valley
Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
But because cap space rolls over in the NFL, there are salary cap machinations to work around that issue.
The Arizona Republic beat writer Theo Mackie wrote about this possibility earlier, saying:
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“Arizona used Tomlinson in a slightly different role compared with his previous stop in Cleveland, as he played nose tackle on a career-high 28.1% of his snaps. The results were not positive. Tomlinson’s pressure rate fell from 11.6% to 4.5%, per Pro Football Focus. The analytics site also credited Tomlinson with the worst season of his career as a run defender, with a 37.3 grade in that area (60 is average).
“So while the Cardinals are thin at defensive tackle, it would be hard to justify paying $16.2 million to a player who was so ineffective in this system, which will remain the same with Nick Rallis returning as defensive coordinator.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals release defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson